Yet another "Which Bike Should I get?" (Mine was Stolen)

I appreciate there are thousands of these posts on here and as a new user I'm sure I don't fully appreciate how annoying these probably are. However, here I go anyway.

So in October 2013 I was given some money for a road bike for my birthday. On Gumtree I managed to track down a Planet X NanoLight (2012 rrp £1400) in excellent condition for £850. Full carbon, Sram Force groupset and I have been chuffed with it ever since...but...someone has recently decided that they would like to own my bike instead so have stolen it from my shed. I'm now in need of a replacement; I don't think I will get the full retail price of the bike back from my insurance company as it is a couple of years old now despite the lack of previous use. They will be offering something of similar spec (or at least the money for something like it). So I'm looking for a full carbon fairly well equiped road bike.

I have signed up for RideLondon this year and will be taking part in the 100 mile sportive on behalf of MS-UK aiming to raise about £800+. As sporty as my planet X was I felt it would have served me well enough on the day. I'm 6'4" and weigh about 180/190lbs. I am 23 and have played sport all my life so am fairly fit but never taken part in something quite so endurance based as this! I currently live in Sheffield so am no strangers to constant and grueling hill climbs. I think I should have about £1000 to play with and have a few options I have picked out:

Planet X Pro Carbon £999.00 (http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/CBPXSLPULT ... -road-bike) Sticking with the same brand and general set up and well recommended on this site (only difference in the groupset but I'm sure I could get used to the shifters)

Mekk Poggio P3.0 £999.01 (http://www.wiggle.co.uk/mekk-2g-poggio- ... egra-2013/) This looks like a hell of a steal right now as it's down from rrp £1698, I rode the 1.5 before getting my Planet X and it felt nice enough to my inexperienced self.

Sorry that this is crazy long and fairly uninteresting but if anyone has any views or alternative suggestions they would be very much welcomed.

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Tony Farrelly[2893 posts]3 years ago

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No need to apologise for posting on here asking advice - it's one of the reasons we set it up.

To be honest looking at the two bikes I'd say flip a coin. They both look good for the money. Don't know much about the FSA wheels on the Planet X but I'm sure they will do the job and if you were buying them separately they match up almost exactly to those on the Mekk. The Shimano RS30s on the Mekk are reliable stalwarts - both are the sort of thing you could upgrade for lighter wheels as funds allowed in the future… if you wanted to. I'm sure both bikes would ride just fine as they come.

Not sure if the fork on the Pro Carbon is all carbon if it was that would be a plus, but then that would simply match up with the plus (for me at least) of the RS30 wheels on the Mekk.

Other things to consider - Wiggle's excellent customer service reputation, not that Planet X have a bad rep either, and as you're in Sheffield they're local so.

Ah, thanks guys, I really appreciate the comments. Think I miss-quoted the Planet X price, it's actually £999.99 so a whole 98p more expesive lol! But seriously, I know Mekk are also a British brand but I guess Wiggle does take some of that profit they make eh!? What are your opinions on how the Shimano Ultegra groupset I'd be moving onto compares to the Sram Force on my old bike? I've heard they are not quite exactly comparable!?

And sorry, one more question, the Planet X talks about having a 'compact geometry' what effect would this have on me as a rather tall rider? Would it help aleviate the pain I get across my shoulders by having a non-compact bike?

I've got a version of the Planet X and it's good. Pretty light, comfortable, relatively stiff. The forks are indeed all carbon. The frame looks a little dated, even compared to your old nanolight, but the spec ain't bad. Both bikes sacrifice the ultegra chainset and brakes for cheaper alternatives, which is a shame.

I got one or the Planet X Pro Carbon's last week as a weekend bike. Only had it out for a couple of rides last weekend but certainly a very fun ride. The FSA wheels seem solid, and are about as light as you're gonna get for that sort of money. Rest of the frame is pretty nice, compact geometry looks a little strange at first (coming from a 'full' ali bike) but doesn't seem to affect the ride in particular. What's for sure is its light and fairly stiff (though some reviews complain about a bit of flex in it, not sure I'm experienced enough to tell). The finishing kit is good value, all quality products if not the lightest, and neatly assembled.

The (mostly) Ultegra groupset is a dream, shifting is so clean (though I am comparing to Sora, and a bit of Tiagra). Some might complain about it only being the old 10 speed but others don't seem to rate 11 speed. One thing to bear in mind is the shifters are fairly bulky, but you're a tall chap like me (6'2", 180-odd pounds) and I find them fine.

The only thing I would have wished for would have been to be able to go and sit on one before plonking down the cash (not that I think I got the size wrong, but for peace of mind), but seeing as you're in sheffield that's perfectly possible.

Overall I don't think you'll be disappointed with the Planet X (though I can't speak to the Mekk, so that may be great too)

Wow this has been quite the response thanks guys for taking the time to reply so comprehensively!!

@bashthebox so do you feel there is a big drawback to not having a full group set? Is it particularly expensive to upgrade in bits??

@Tony thank you for commenting again, I get the feeling that the shifters and group set are all very much down to opinion/personal preference in the end? Have you had issues with other makes or just been with that one make the whole time?

@numbercruncher ok thanks, yeah I'll give that a go and see how I feel sitting on one, I'm not sure if I'm nanolight was compact or not, I get a bit mixed up with compact frames and compact chainsets (I think that sounds right!?). Issue with the Ribble ones would be not being able to sit on one eh!? They look awesome, do you own one?

@Cantab ah it's great to hear from someone who has just got one of these new. Think my nanolight had fsa wheels but I'm not too sure I really know the difference. So is the compact geometry not changing your riding position and the stresses on your body?? I find I get a lot of pain over my shoulders so wondering if a larger frame would help relieve that!? Yeah heard people talking about flex but not really sure I know what they're talking about there, not felt too nervy on my old Planet X. Thanks, think I'll pop down to the store next weekend and have a little chat and a try and see how that goes!!

@Charles_Hunter hmm I wish, I'm not actually in a job yet, I'm finishing my degree at university and even then I haven't seen anything in my contract about a cycle to work scheme, but that wouldn't be till October. Maybe I'll ask about their policy when I get there and maybe treat myself to either some upgrades or a whole new system!

As an aside, I've been offered a Specialized S-Works SL 1 for £1,200. The condition seems pretty good and I know when these were new they were very expensive. However, is a bike from 2007 (I think) worth that much now, even if it was in perfect condition? Described as: "Full Dura Ace group set, Mavic Cosmic Carbones wheels and Ritchie handlebars/stem" I know the technology from the groupsets seem to filter down over the years so would a Dura Ace from this long ago actually be any better than a current Ultegra? Thanks in advance for any advice, I find it tough to get a straight answer from anywhere else as most places (understandably) just want to sell me the bikes they have in store.

It's a tough one re the S-Works SL1 - it was pro-level stuff in it's day, but things have moved on quite a bit since then. Plus I'm not sure how easy/cost-effective it would be to obtain spares for 7-year-old kit.

Re shifters, I've got SRAM Apex on my commuter, and Shimano Ultegra 10-spd on my 'nice' bike. Ultegra is definitely the choice of the two for performance and use. For maintenance, the SRAM has always been so finnickety, I've rarely been able to access all the gears. On Ultegra, no such issues, and adjustment of the derailleurs appears far less fussy. I'm assuming a new bike will include the new 11-spd Ultegra, which I believe is on another level again.

I'd say go down to Planet-X, get a bike fit (this is a MASSIVE plus of being able to walk into a bricks and mortar shop, it can do more for your performance than any component ever will) and see how a test ride feels.

Ok great thanks, so would I be right in assuming that an S-Works SL 2 is a slightly newer model again? because I've found one of them as well for a little less than £900 which again sounds great but I feel that I'm clutching at straws here scraping around for a bargain anywhere I can.

Well I think that Planet X have moved away from Sram now anyway so I guess that is likely to be my only option in the end! It's just that I've only ridden two bikes for a prolonged period of time and they were Sora and Sram Force so I'm a little more used to the nice feeling of the Sram but I'm sure it won't take long to get used to the change!

Think the Planet X use the old 10 speed but even so, I'm sure that will be fine. OK ok I completely agree that it could be a good idea to head to a shop and talk to someone properly about fitting. However, my main fear is that they will simply find a bike that they have that will fit me best from what they have in store, rather than saying that I might be better off looking somewhere else!? Do you just know when you get on a bike which feels exactly right? So far in my experience riding a bike like this has been relatively unnatural and uncomfortable to some extent!

A lot of questions!
You obviously want to get a frame that fits you, and the appropriate crank length, but everything else is pretty easy and cheap to change (stem, bars, seatpost, cleat position) so you needn't worry too much.
Definitely go into a bricks and mortar shop - there's not too much to choose from in terms of performance with higher end frames any more, so aesthetics are hugely important. This will be your baby, you must love your bike. Have a look and a feel, see what you like.
According to the Road.cc reviews, pretty much every bike out there is a 4 or 5 star bike, so take your pick.

Haha, sorry I don't have any other outlet for these questions so I get a little carried away! I went into the Planet X store finally and think I've settled on the RT-58 and going to get a Retül fitting to make sure it's all fitted and stuff! Thanks for everyone's help, it's much appreciated!